WELL-ARMED AND READYQueen of K's wants a ringCat Osterman, the face of the new softball boom, is taking UT on her quest for a title

OKLAHOMA CITY - The numbers are mesmerizing, if not unbelievable: Six no-hitters. Three perfect games. An earned run average of 0.32 and 539 strikeouts. Nineteen shutouts in 30 starts. An .075 opponents' batting average.

For a Houston product with an intimidating stare and wicked, knee-buckling curveball, those numbers are just part of another amazing season.

"She can be a very intimidating presence in the (pitching) circle," teammate Melanie Jarrett said. "She has the stance with her glove looking you in the eye. You get the feeling 'she's about to own me.' She has that look in her eye that makes you know she's about to strike you out."

Osterman, a junior at Texas who played in high school at Cypress Springs and won a gold medal in last year's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, for Team USA softball, has added numbers beyond what she has done on the field.

Her success at UT and Team USA's 9-0 run in Athens have translated into a box office hit for the Amateur Softball Association, the sport's governing body. The ASA youth program, also known as the Junior Olympic program, is among the nation's largest youth sports organizations. More than 80,000 teams, 1.3 million players and 300,000 coaches participate in ASA youth softball on an annual basis.

In the Southwest region, softball is bigger than ever, and this weekend could be the biggest yet. UT, Texas A&M and Baylor all advanced to the NCAA super regionals this season. The Longhorns, winners of 12 straight games, are making their third World Series appearances in the program's nine-year history.

The Houston area has become one of the biggest hotbeds for softball, producing several stars, including Osterman and '96 Olympian and Pasadena Dobie graduate Christa Williams, who also starred for the Longhorns.

At the high school level, Tomball will play for a shot at the state title this weekend, just one week after ending Alief Elkins' 76-game winning streak, a run that garnered national attention.

In the biggest spotlight will be Osterman and the Longhorns, who open the World Series — the eight-team double elimination tournament that determines softball's collegiate national champion — against Alabama at Hall of Fame Stadium tonight.

For Osterman, nothing may ever compare to taking on the world, but there is one thing she'd love to add to her shiny Olympic gold medal.

"I want a national championship ring before I finish my collegiate career," said Osterman, who was named national player of the year for a second time Wednesday.

Osterman feels she's an even better pitcher than as a sophomore, when she also was named national player of the year and led the Longhorns within one out of the national title game.

At her most dominant

Olympic coach
Mike Candrea
, whose Arizona squad is among the eight-team field, says Osterman has become even tougher to figure out. Her UT coach,
Connie Clark
, says some time off last fall recharged Osterman and believes she's "getting into a zone."

Entering the tournament, Osterman has been at her most dominant, and the numbers show it. She has a current 50 1/3 scoreless innings streak, has thrown three no-hitters in her last six starts (all in the postseason) and has allowed only six hits in her last nine appearances. Osterman, who befuddles hitters with pitch movement rather than power, needed only 99 pitches to complete a perfect game against Mississippi State in the regional round.

"Not much is said in the batter's box, but you can read body language," said UT sophomore catcher Megan Willis. "I think most batters go up there knowing who they are facing."

A lot has changed for 22-year-old Osterman since her last trip here with the Longhorns in 2003.

For one, Osterman earned instant celebrity after helping the United States to the gold medal at last year's Olympics, tossing a complete-game, extra-inning shutout against Japan. She's done the talk-show circuit (she read No. 8 on a top 10 list on The Late Show with David Letterman) and has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. Arguably the toughest task has been easing back into her normal lifestyle while carrying the hopes of a possible first national title for UT.

"I think being on softball's biggest stage, the Olympics, has made me ready for the World Series," Osterman said. "Now I can handle all those emotions and contain my energy."

While most pitchers prefer to have at least two good pitches, Osterman is a rare breed with command of five: a drop ball, a rise ball, a curveball, an off-speed curve and a screwball she just learned in the past month. Ironically, she only uses her fastball in warmups.

Time away from the game

After her whirlwind Olympic journey, Osterman returned to the Austin campus last fall burned out, lacking desire and experiencing post-Olympic withdrawal. She met with Clark in November after a five-game fall season, and Clark agreed to give Osterman all the time she needed away from the game. Clark also enlisted the input of other coaches at UT in dealing with past Olympians upon their return to school.

"I hadn't had any time off since the World Series as a sophomore," Osterman said. "I needed some time away from softball."

Absence cost Horns

During Osterman's one-year Olympic hiatus, the Longhorns went 24-25 (5-13 in the Big 12 Conference) and the team posted a 3.21 ERA. The Longhorns, winners of 12 straight games entering the World Series, own the nation's best team ERA at 0.58 this season.

Osterman hasn't been without her share of struggles. She has almost had to be perfect with the Longhorns' light-hitting lineup.

UT finished with a .221 batting average in conference play, among the worst in the 10-team league.

The team has produced only five runs in her six losses, including four shutouts. "I don't go out there and expect a no-hitter or perfect game every time," Osterman said.

"If I throw a one-hitter or two-hitter, or even a no-hitter, it's not a big deal among the fans because of my past record. But I don't take it for granted."